India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has alleged that the signing of Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed by an Indian-owned Hundred franchise in England “indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians”. Players from Pakistan have not featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009 because of deep-seated diplomatic tensions between the two nations. That did not come to pass, but Sunrisers Leeds — from the same group that controls IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad — faced a fierce social media backlash after last week clinching a deal for Abrar, paying 190,000 pounds ($252,000) for his services. Former India captain Gavaskar, 76, launched a blistering attack in a weekend column for the Indian newspaper Mid-Day. The England and Wales Cricket Board last month issued a statement saying all eight franchises in the 100-ball-a-side competition were committed to selection based solely on performances. “There’s still time to undo the wrong, and hopefully, wiser counsels will prevail,” added Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket.